Captain of the Guard (Winged Beasts Series Book 1)

by Crystal Dawn

“We aren’t industrialized but I will be able to provide for your daughter. Our home is much like yours with a garden spot and animals. Our lives are simple, but satisfying and I will give Bree anything she needs or wants.”

  “You won’t want to spoil her too much,” Mom advised.

  “Mom, I’m not spoiled,” Bree argued.

  “Not yet and you don’t need to be. I want you to be happy and spoiled brats always need more to be happy. Eventually it becomes impossible to please them,” Mom argued.

  “I don’t know anyone who is spoiled,” Bree said.

  Mom smiled. “My mother was spoiled by my dad. It didn’t end well.”

  “You never talk about them,” Bree declared.

  “It’s painful,” Mom admitted.

  “I’d love to see your place,” Romo hinted.

  Mom offered, “I’d love to show you.”

  Everyone got up and Mom led them outside. She went to the garden first and it was well tended and plants were loaded with vegetables. It was about an acre and a small section was herbs. Many of those bloomed and the scents from the flowers perfumed the air.

  “You must work very hard in this garden,” Romo observed.

  “Several hours every day. I sell vegetable and herbs from it. I have some fruit trees and berry vines and plants, but not enough to sell those. What we don’t eat fresh, I use for pies, some of which I freeze in, or can. I also sell eggs and fresh milk, it supplements my income,” she explained.

  Bree thought Romo impressed with all her mother did. It made her proud that her mom worked so hard and was so talented in these tasks that few people could do anymore. Gardening, canning, and many of the crafts her mom did were becoming lost arts. Bree and her sisters had been taught to do them at an early age and while she knew how, she only did them when she visited home.

  “Let’s go to the barn,” Mom invited.

  They followed her down a path that wound its way to the barn. It wasn’t a huge barn but it was large for the size of the property. Bree could remember when she was barely able to walk following her father around while he built this place. It had never been painted but still stood tall and strong. He’d built it with raw lumber so hard that he’d bent many a nail when he tried to hammer them in to the rough hewn boards. Her dad had been proud once the barn had been completed.

  “Are you alright?” Romo asked. Bree thought he’d seen the tear that had rolled down her cheek. So many memories, it was a lot to leave behind.

  “I’m fine. Just remembering my dad. It doesn’t happen often because he’s been gone so long,” she replied.

  Romo pulled her into his warm embrace and held her tight. Remembering made him seem closer and it felt good to have that picture in her mind. He’d loved them all so much and he hadn’t wanted to go but duty had called. Her mom looked at them and Bree could tell she wanted to move on.

  “I’m alright now,” she whispered to Romo as she pulled back. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him as her mom moved on down the path.

  The animals were all around, as they stood in the barnyard but they moved back as the three of them followed the path to the small wooded area. The goats kept the underbrush clear and most of the lower branches too. It was a lovely place to walk and reflect on life as you followed one of several paths. Her mom had picked one that circled back to the house on the other side of the garden than the one they’d walked.

  They finally made it back to the house after a couple of hours had passed. “I’m sure you two are hungry. Last night I fixed something so I would just have to reheat it up for us,” Mom detailed.

  “Thanks Mom. Do you need any help?” Bree asked. She knew her Mom’s feelings would get hurt if they didn’t stay for lunch. Romo took his cues from her and she was glad they would stay.

  “Why don’t you two set the table and put the food out as it gets ready?” Mom asked.

  Her mom had taught them all to help with meals from an early age. Bree smiled as she remembered how important she had felt when she’d had a job to do at meal time. She intended to teach her own children the same thing about responsibility. Her only regret was her mom wouldn’t be there to help her. Both sets of grandparents had been around when she was young. Her dad’s parents had had him late in life and they had passed on before she was a teen. Her mom’s parents had gone recently and she still grieved them. That was just one more thing that made it hard to leave her behind.

  After all the food was reheated, they worked to get it out on the table so they could eat. It was obvious that Romo was making a good impression on his new mother-in-law.

  Once they were seated, the food was passed around the table and Bree thought back to the thousands of meals she’d had at this very table as she was growing up. It had never been her intention to move further away than a few hours’ drive. Now her mom would have to depend on her sisters when she needed something. It made her feel like a failure as a daughter. Bree could only hope things would work out, but she knew she was meant to be with Romo. In her mind’s eye, she could see their future laid out in front of her with children and everything.

  Regrets from leaving Earth behind would be few, but the loss of her family was the biggest one and the only one of importance. Conveniences and items, like coffee and chocolate, she would replace in time with something else, but her immediate family meant more to her than diamonds and gold.

  “Mrs. DeGreg, that was one of the best meals I’ve had since I’ve been in your country,” Romo said. Bree was surprised Romo knew her last name, she’d never mentioned it. It would have been more likely for his to call her Mrs. Fraser since that was Davy’s last name but had never been her mother’s name because her maiden name had been Williams before she married..

  Bree watched in surprise as her mom blushed like a school girl. “That’s so sweet of you, Dear. It’s just one of the meals my girls used to love when they were kids and even now.”

  “You’re so modest. I hope you taught Bree to cook like that?” he asked. Bree felt irritation roll over her but she bit back the angry retort. She knew he was just trying to develop a good relationship with her mom so she would trust him to watch over her daughter in the far away land where he lived. Her mother needed to trust Romo or she would worry all the time.

  “Of course I did. All my girls learned to cook and keep house. They learned crafts too like sewing and knitting. Not that you would know it if I didn’t tell you since they never do it,” she lamented.

  Romo smiled and sent a wink Bree’s way. “I’m sure they are all very talented since they learned from the best,” he assured.

  Her mom giggled again and blushed. Bree thought about it and realized how much her mom had given up to raise them. She’d not had romance and love in her life except for the love she had for her girls. Finding a man willing to take on a woman with four girls would have been hard. Now that they were all grown, maybe her mom would discover someone out there waiting just for her. Bree only wanted the best for her mom. They couldn’t stay much longer, she knew that.

  “I’m afraid we have to go. We have a lot to do before we leave. Bree’s place needs emptied and she wants to pack some things to bring with her,” Romo said.

  “I hate to see you two go, but I understand. There had better be regular calls and letters or I’ll come looking for you,” Mom threatened. It may have sounded like a joke, but Bree thought she meant it.

  “Bree will keep in touch and we’ll see you again before you know it,” Romo promised.

  After hugs, kisses, and more than a few tears, Bree and Romo left her mom standing in the doorway watching until Bree couldn’t see her anymore. A pain hit her right in the heart but life was like that. Romo turned back toward the city which was where Bree had an apartment the team provided as part of her contract. All the players lived there and it was near the arena where they trained. Today she would say goodbye to her old life and the people in it.

  They hit the city and she directed Romo to the place where she�
��d lived for several years. All her neighbors were friends and she hoped they would be happy for her instead of just sad that she was leaving. The work they had ahead of them would take a few hours. All the trunks she needed to pack to take with her had to be done so they could take them back to the hotel with them. Romo had promised her the rest would be packed and stored so her sisters could come and take whatever they wanted. Once that was done, the rest would be donated to charity. It was a good plan and if they started to work right away, they should be done before dark.

  Pulling up to the building, it didn’t look like many of her friends were home. Bree hadn’t thought about trunks but Romo had four in the back. It was clear he was a keeper. He drug one foot locker out of the SUV and they went to the elevator. Her apartment was on the second floor and she got her keys out to open the door. She tried to remember if she’d left a mess or not and ended up just hoping she hadn’t. As she opened the door no bad smells hit her so that was a good sign. Walking into the apartment, Romo followed and she motioned for him to take the trunk to her bedroom.

  He dropped it and ran out probably to get the next one. It was time to sort through her life and decide what would come and what would stay. Her jewelry box went in along with all her yearbooks. She collected dragons, yes, she understood the irony of that so she wrapped each precious one from her collection in some of her clothes that were coming anyway. The trunk was big and she added her favorite boots, heels, and tennis shoes. Hunting down her photo albums, she dumped them all inside.

  Romo had made it back and he stood watching and waiting. Throwing in a chess set and carefully adding a painting, the final item was a gun set in a wooden box. Romo raised his brow, but he didn’t say a word as he closed the box and lifted it without effort. Bree dragged the other trunk to the kitchen and went back to pile up the rest of the clothes she wanted to take and carry them to the kitchen. They would be used to cushion and wrap her set of china that her mom had given her. It had belonged to her dad’s mom who had been an only grandchild on both sides. She’d had two china sets and Bree had gotten to pick which one she wanted. It was something she could never leave behind. That or the silverware set she’d gotten to go with it.

  He was back now and had brought another trunk while she’d filled up this one. “Leave the last trunk downstairs. I want to fill it up with coffee and chocolate,” she explained. Romo nodded and closed that trunk before he carried it downstairs.

  One more trunk to pack and she would be done. There were a few kitchen items she wanted and some souvenirs and awards from her games that she packed. Two oil lamps that luckily had no oil in them yet went in the trunk and her Swiss army knife. It was amazing how little she really had to show for nearly twenty six years. She’d miss her big screen TV and her easy chair, but she was going to a life they would have no part in. Romo had come back for the last trunk and Bree took a long last look around. It was sad she’d not been able to say goodbye to any of her friends. Maybe it was for the best after all. She closed and locked the door before she walked away for good.

  Her mate waited for her at the SUV having already loaded the trunk. “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “I’ll be fine. It’s just the turning of a page,” she observed.

  They got in and Romo pulled out of the parking lot. Bree whispered a good bye to all those that she’d once been so close to. “Do you want to shop for the items you wish to bring now?” he asked.

  She nodded and he pulled into a grocery store. It was a locally owned one that she had shopped at a hundred times. Romo came around and opened her door helping her out and keeping hold of her hand. Maybe he sensed she was having an attack of nerves and he feared she’d run away. Bree wouldn’t do that, she’d made a decision and she planned to stick to it.

  They piled coffee and chocolate into the cart and she added a few more items that caught her eye. Eventually she’d have to adjust to whatever his planet had to offer. It might not be so bad, at least she hoped it wouldn’t be. The checkout clerk stared at her purchases. “Are you going somewhere that doesn’t have coffee or chocolate?” she asked.

  “Yes, they aren’t available everywhere,” Bree explained.

  “You poor thing,” the lady sympathized.

  Romo started to pay but Bree insisted, her money wouldn’t be any good where they were going anyway. All the bags were put in a cart and her mate pushed it out to the SUV. Things were getting more real by the moment. Now they were heading back to the hotel or at least that’s where she thought they would be going. They rode in silence and she glanced over at Romo from time to time. Such a handsome male, she could hardly believe he was hers.

  At some point, she began to pay attention to where they were and they weren’t headed to the casino. They were actually going to the opposite side of town. “Where are we headed?” she asked.

  “We are dropping off the trunks at our warehouse. This is where the shuttle will come to pick us up in a few days. I also planned to give you a quick tour of the woods and show you my dragon,” Romo explained.

  His dragon, the thought of seeing him excited her more than she could describe. There had been no doubt in her mind when he’d told her about him that it was the truth. Bree loved him and that gave her a faith to believe the unbelievable but since he’d told her, she had wondered what his awesome dragon, because of course he’d be amazing, looked like. Energy thrummed through her at the thought of seeing her mate’s other side. Could she become something more someday too? How long would it be before they knew?

  The warehouse was located outside of town. Romo drove until he pulled off the main road onto a back road then until he finally got to a long dirt driveway. There was a warehouse but no ship was there right now. She didn’t care, she’d see the damn thing soon enough when it took her away from Earth. Romo pulled up beside the building and stopped. It was time to unload her trunks and she intended to help him. Sliding out of her seat, she hurried around the back where he had opened the back door.

  “What are you doing back here?” Romo asked.

  “I’m going to help you with the trunks,” she explained.

  Romo chuckled. “No really why are you back here?”

  Bree stomped her foot and said, “I plan to help.”

  “I appreciate that but it’s easier for me to just carry them in by myself,” he explained. He pushed something into her hands. “Why don’t you go open the door for me. That would be a help.”

  Bree went to the door and looked at the controller in her hands. She pushed the top button and the cargo door started sliding open. Romo came around the SUV with a trunk in his hands. Ducking down, he slipped under the bottom of the door and set the trunk down before coming back to get another one. In less than five minutes all four trunks were neatly stacked and the door was sliding back down.

  “Let’s take a short walk,” he suggested.

  It was a lovely area with clean fresh air and a nice wooded spot just behind the warehouse. This whole section was barely populated making it a great place to land a shuttle without anyone noticing. Romo grabbed her hand and led her toward the woods. It was twilight so she could still see but it wouldn’t be long before darkness fell. The temperature was cool now that the sun no longer warmed them. Her mate pulled her to a stop in a small clearing surrounded by trees. Perhaps it was where the shuttle landed, she wasn’t sure.

  “This is a good spot for the change,” Romo observed. “I need some room, Mate.” She could only imagine what went into becoming a completely different creature. Dragons were huge, were they not? Bree backed away so that he wouldn’t crush her and she stood between two trees at the edge of the clearing and waited barely able to breathe due to the excitement.

  Romo stood closer to the center so he had space all the way around him. His blue eyes glowed with energy and his body seemed to shake. There was what she could only describe as a flash of light that blinded her for just a moment, but when she could see clearly again, her male was gone. In his place was
a massive black dragon with the same beautiful blue eyes Romo had. The beast seemed to smile at her, there was simply no other way to describe it. It set her so at ease she stepped forward and held her hand out to him without giving it a second thought.

  The beast sniffed her hand and then he licked it with his large rough and slippery tongue. “Ew,” she screeched wiping her hand on her pants leg. He pushed her lightly with his nose not seeming to appreciate her reaction to him sliming her.

  His scales were black but when the light played over them, they were iridescent. The massive creature was gorgeous and intelligence sparkled in his eyes. She saw his body shake and there was another flash that temporarily blinded her before he returned, Romo was back.

  “What did you think?” he asked.

  “You were magnificent,” she admitted.

  “Would you like to try and see if you can turn too?”

  “I don’t think I can. Wouldn’t I feel different?”

  “You haven’t felt the same, my love, since we’ve met.”

  “I can’t deny that, but the change would have started after your bite, right?”

  “That’s true but you admitted to feeling odd. Flulike symptoms might signify a change.”

  “How would I find out for sure?”

  “You need to relax and open yourself up and believe you can change into a dragon. Imagine in your mind what you would look like if you were a dragon. Fix a picture in your mind. Do you have it?”

  “Yes, I can see myself as a dragon. She’s gorgeous and she wants to play.”

  “All you have to do now is call her. Tell her she can come out if she wants to. Tell her she can meet her mate.”

  Bree felt an ache in her stomach and her body seemed to come apart. Pain ripped through her but it only lasted a moment. Breathing deeply, she calmed herself and tried to manage the disappointment. She opened her eyes and looked at Romo who seemed to have shrunk. His eyes looked wide open in awe. What was he looking at anyway? Bree glanced down and saw scales? It had happened, she’d changed forms and not even known it. The scales she saw were golden with a little bit of green. They were beautiful and she felt amazing. She spread her wings and hit a tree! The need to fly hit her hard so she jumped in the air and moved her wings with an instinct of ages.